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CHARLESTON, S.C. — President Joe Biden easily won the South Carolina Democratic primary Saturday, setting himself up for a near-impact path to becoming the Democratic nominee with a possible rematch with Donald Trump in the fall. He won his first victory.
Biden was declared a decisive winner shortly after the polls closed, which was not surprising given that he lacked a formidable challenger. But it is nevertheless a significant milestone, as Mr. Biden seeks to unite the entire party around a candidate who will put him on the path to winning the nomination.
Biden appears to have received at least 96% of the vote, with Minnesota Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips and author Marianne Williamson finishing in the low single digits.
Here are three key takeaways from the night.
Biden is moving toward nomination despite Democratic misgivings
Biden’s landslide victory in South Carolina erased any doubts he would become the Democratic nominee, even as he faced repeated questions about his ability to rally his supporters.
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Polls over the past year have shown that most Democratic voters want someone other than Biden to be the party’s standard-bearer in 2024.
But Mr. Biden’s landslide victory in South Carolina, the first state to vote in the new Democratic primary calendar, proved that the leading candidates of Mr. Phillips and Mr. Williamson were not a serious threat.
Mr. Biden, 81, still faces concerns within his party about his age and his ability to energize young voters, progressives and other key constituencies. But despite his shortcomings as a candidate, Biden is on his way to winning the nomination, with no viable Democratic challenger emerging last year.
Pam Joy, 62, a black waitress from Charleston, did not attend Saturday’s primary election, but said she usually votes Democratic and plans to vote for Biden in November, despite concerns about her age. .
With the South Carolina result in no doubt, Biden traveled to Los Angeles on Saturday to attend a fundraiser for his campaign. He called on the South Carolina Democratic Observer Group and spoke to his supporters on speakerphone.
“The stakes in this election could not be higher,” Biden said in a statement after his victory, warning that “radical and dangerous voices, led by Donald Trump, are at work in this country.”
The Biden campaign was already focused on a possible rematch with Trump after the former president won the New Hampshire Republican primary. Voting is next in the Democratic primary in Nevada on Tuesday.
South Carolina gave Mr. Biden an opportunity to test his message with black voters, who make up the majority in the state’s Democratic district, while Nevada offers a similar opportunity with Latino voters. There is. Unlike South Carolina, which is heavily Republican, Nevada is also an important battleground state in the general election.
A big night for black voters
Saturday’s primary is the first for South Carolina Democrats since the Democratic National Committee changed its primary dates to remove Iowa and New Hampshire as the first and second states to vote from the Palmetto State. This was the first primary election.
Party rationale: Although South Carolina does not participate in the general election, its large black population makes it one of the most reliable and important districts for Democrats, allowing Democrats to control the direction of the nominating process. You can decide.
Turnout on Saturday, unsurprisingly, appeared to be down compared to the highly competitive open Democratic primary in 2020, which Biden also won.
However, South Carolina Democratic Party Executive Director Jay Parmley told reporters that Black turnout in early voting increased by 13% compared to 2020. The complete breakdown of the total vote will not be known until all results are tallied.
Betty Managault, 82, a black former nursing assistant, said she voted for Biden because he was a “godly man.” Although she had no doubt that Biden would win the primary, she said she felt it was important to vote.
“My ancestors, they died so I could vote,” she said, sitting at a table selling baskets of sweet grass she had made.
South Carolina – With the backing of the state’s most prominent Democrat, Rep. Jim Clyburn, who famously saved Biden’s candidacy from initial defeats in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada in 2020. That’s a story.
“Now in 2024, the people of South Carolina have once again spoken out,” Biden said in a statement after Saturday’s victory, “and you have won us the presidency again, and Donald Trump has spoken out.” There’s no question that he put Trump on the path to becoming president.” Loser again. ”
Ahead of the general election, Biden has work to do to ensure that black voters support him at the same level as they did in 2020. A USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll conducted last month found that Biden’s approval rating among black voters has declined significantly, at just 63%. from the 87% he earned in 2020.
If black support continues to lag, Biden’s chances in the fall could be catastrophic.
What will Biden’s challengers do next?
That’s clear now. Williamson, a self-help book author, and Rep. Phillips of Minnesota pose no threat to Biden, raising questions about how long they intend to remain in the race.
Biden ignores both and suffers no consequences as a result.
Their brutal performance in South Carolina comes after Biden won a landslide victory in the New Hampshire primary last month, despite his name not appearing on the ballot. Mr. Biden won as an additional candidate after Mr. Phillips swayed the campaign by claiming a symbolic victory in New Hampshire in Mr. Biden’s absence.
Mr Phillips upset many in the party when he contested the primary in late October, but suffered a series of crushing defeats, raising questions about whether it was time to step down.
But Phillips said he was hanging in there even though it looked like he would finish third behind Williamson.
“It’s never felt so good to break four digits!” Phillips said on social media site X (formerly Twitter). “Congratulations, Mr. President, with a good old cheer. See you in Michigan.”
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